Ranking the Lynyrd Skynyrd Studio Albums

As mentioned in a previous Lynyrd Skynyrd post, I’ve heard the name all my life, but didn’t dive into the band’s catalog until after guitarist Gary Rossington’s passing; like a few months later. This past March, we had the one-year death anniversary, which is morbid to think about. But since then, Lynyrd Skynyrd has been on my mind and even more so these past few weeks. Therefore, I figured it was time to rank their studio albums from least favorite to favorite. For this ranking, I won’t cover Endangered Species (1994) and Christmas Time Again (2000) because the former mostly contains acoustic versions of their best known songs and the latter is a Christmas album (obviously). With all that said, let’s get on with the music!

12. Last of a Dyin’ Breed (2012)

My problem with Skynyrd’s last two studio albums is that they lack balls! They’re missing that southern swagger that makes me want to start a bar fight. Pete Pardo from Sea of Tranquility said it best; the band were trying to appeal to modern country fans for the purpose of selling more records. Don’t get me wrong, “Honey Hole” is pretty bada** and “Mississippi Blood” has a killer groove. But then, there are songs like “One Day at a Time” and “Ready to Fly” that sound tragically commercial. I think half of the album is great, but the rest of the tracks are too tame for me.

11. Second Helping (1974)

Here’s where it gets controversial; I think Second Helping is a boring album. It starts with the overrated, “Sweet Home Alabama,” and kills the upbeat momentum with the cheesy and somber, “I Need You.” I never liked “Workin’ for MCA” because I think the lyrics are straightforward and uninspiring. I always get that one confused with “Swamp Music,” because the intros are similar. However, I’ll admit that “The Ballad of Curtis Loew” is a brilliant song; the slide guitar parts are gorgeous!

10. Street Survivors (1977)

I don’t think Street Survivors is all that brilliant either and it’s not because the album cover is creepy as heck. Guitarist Steve Gaines was an excellent addition to Lynyrd Skynyrd and it’s a shame we never got more from him. Besides being a gifted songwriter, he had an incredible bluesy singing voice. “Ain’t No Good Life” is a major highlight on the album. However, a good chunk of these tracks are unmemorable and the lyrics are terrible, especially for “I Know a Little” and “That Smell.” On a more positive note, “What’s Your Name” is a fantastic album opener.

9. God & Guns (2009)

Despite what I said about the last two Skynyrd studio albums, I really dig God & Guns for the most part. I don’t like when music and politics mix together, but I think the songs are well-written and Johnny’s vocals are amazing. There are bangers like “Skynyrd Nation” and “Comin’ Back for More,” as well as beautiful ballads like “Gifted Hands” and “Unwrite That Song.” The latter being one of the best ballads from the Johnny Van Zant era. A noticeable departure from the previous album, Vicious Cycle (2003), but there’s enough stuff to please both the southern rock fans and modern country fans. 

8. Edge of Forever (1999)

Edge of Forever is the second studio album to feature guitarists Rickey Medlocke and Hughie Thomasson and given their previous bands, their influences are all over this album (just like the one before and the one after). The riffs are dark and heavy, and Johnny’s vocals are mean and ferocious. Tracks like “Gone Fishin,’” and “Preacher Man” are perfect for blasting on an old jukebox while drinking a nice, cold beer! Great instrumentation, as well. “Money Back Guarantee,” for example, features flavorful keyboard parts from pianist Billy Powell.

7. The Last Rebel (1993)

The Last Rebel and the 1991 album have hints of the Ronnie Van Zant version of Skynyrd, due to guitarist Ed King’s contribution. This album, in particular, is more laid-back with a lot of earthy jams. There are some politics on here with “Can’t Take That Away” and “Kiss Your Freedom Goodbye,” but they’re well-written songs. “South of Heaven” is groovy as heck, and “Outta Hell in My Dodge” is filled with so much attitude and swagger. The epic album closer, “Born to Run,” is excellent too. When King left Skynyrd for the second time, the band’s sound changed even more so musically.

6. Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (1991)

Personally, I think The Last Rebel is a stronger album, but Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 was the first Skynyrd album I purchased with my own money, so the latter will always hold a special place in my heart. The album gets an extra boost because of bangers like “Backstreet Crawler,” “Southern Women,” and “Keeping the Faith.” The band even brought back the latter for The Last Rebel tour. With the 1991 album, it’s almost like Lynyrd Skynyrd were a new band all over again. Because they hadn’t released a studio album since 1977, they were excited to play new music again and introduce a new chapter of Skynyrd to the world. 

5. Nuthin’ Fancy (1975)

Nuthin’ Fancy is not the band’s best work, but it’s a fun listen! It starts off with “Saturday Night Special,” which features a sizzling hi-hat beat from drummer Artimus Pyle. The best track of the album, however, is the groovy and tasteful, “On the Hunt.” The main riff itself is awesome, but Rossington’s searing guitar melody gives me chills all over. Sadly, Nuthin’ Fancy and Gimme Back My Bullets (1976) are often overlooked when it comes to the Ronnie Van Zant era. They sit between Second Helping, which is only popular because of “Sweet Home Alabama,” and Street Survivors, the album that would’ve taken the band above and beyond if the plane crash hadn’t happened. 

4. Vicious Cycle (2003)

Vicious Cycle was made for a big, southern rock barbeque; it’s a hell of a great time. There are horns, meaty riffs, funky bass lines, and tons of swagger. Johnny doesn’t give himself enough credit as a songwriter, which is a shame because his lyrics are clever. Take “That’s How I Like It,” for example, there’s a part that goes, “I don’t stand in line for coffee / It ain’t my cup of tea;” that’s genius! Other highlights include “Sweet Mama,” “Rockin’ Little Town,” “Hell or Heaven,” and “Mad Hatter,” the latter being the best tribute song I’ve ever heard! As for the negatives, there are too many songs on the album and the dreadful remix of “Gimme Back My Bullets” with Kid Rock was not necessary; whoever thought that was a good idea must’ve been stoned. 

3. (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) (1973)

For season 5 of American Idol, there was a contestant named Bucky Covington and during the semi-finals, he performed a raw version of “Simple Man,” with a slightly faster tempo. I thought the performance was enjoyable, so years later, I looked up Lynyrd Skynyrd performing the track and I hated it. The song was too slow and mellow; “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Simple Man” were the two tracks that turned me away from the band. I also don’t like “Mississippi Kid” and “Things Goin’ On” because structurally, they sound similar; I could never tell them apart because they’re both laid-back, acoustic tracks. However, I love the beautiful melody for “Tuesday’s Gone” and “Gimme Three Steps” is insanely catchy. Plus, the album starts with a banger, “I Ain’t the One,” and ends with a banger, “Free Bird.” Rest in peace, Allen Collins!

2. Twenty (1997)

The album cover is strange with the band members’ faces on a mountain range, but the music on Twenty is dang good! Being a former percussionist, I love the cowbell parts on “Bring It On.” “Never Too Late” is an uplifting, mid tempo rocker. “O.R.R.” absolutely kicks butt, and “Voodoo Lake” is moody and atmospheric. By the way, it is a crying shame that “Home Is Where the Heart Is” wasn’t a big hit for the band because it’s radio-friendly and commercial, but not in an annoying way. I also adore Dale Krantz-Rossington’s backing vocals on this album because she has an incredible voice. She should’ve sang some lead vocals in the revamped Skynyrd, to be honest!

1. Gimme Back My Bullets (1976)

I only bought Gimme Back My Bullets because of Sea of Tranquility, and yet, it’s the Skynyrd album I play the most! Besides the bada** title track, there are a few underrated gems that are worth checking out. “Every Mother’s Son” was playing on the Hawaii classic rock radio station months ago and I was vibing with it. The band were going through tough times during the Gimme Back My Bullets recording sessions because King left in the middle of the Nuthin’ Fancy tour (better known as the “Torture Tour”), they developed a bad reputation on the road, and they were still trying to live up to the success of their first two studio albums. I think all that angst and frustration came in handy for this album. There’s a funny story about Ronnie calling producer Tom Dowd from jail saying they need to redo the record because there’s a line in “Double Trouble” that goes, “eleven times I been busted,” but he recently got busted for the 12th time, haha. A major highlight of the album, however, is the in-your-face and no bullsh*t, “Cry for the Bad Man,” which features Rossington’s best guitar playing ever! 

There you have it, people! For the most part, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s catalog is pretty solid. The Ronnie Van Zant era and Johnny Van Zant era sound like two different bands, but I like that because they’ve matured over the years. It’s funny how after the plane crash, the surviving band members were against reuniting as Lynyrd Skynyrd; but eight years later, they had a change of heart and did that anyway. I personally don’t have a problem with that, I just wish the current lineup would play songs they actually wrote, rather than the so-called classics. If people could just look past the name and give the “new” music a chance, they’d be able to find stuff they like from Vicious Cycle, Twenty, and The Last Rebel, etc. Oh and if Lynyrd Skynyrd are reading this, release the final studio album you’ve been working on for years!

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Comment below how you’d rank Lynyrd Skynyrd’s studio albums!

Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana